Healing Song
by Sandman Dreamer
Summary: "You will play for me whenever I need you to... and you will do it without question, girl." What he wants, the King gets. Her music though, is given to him when he finds he needs it.


_Good evening!_

_This story is the child of my boredom, a lack of wifi and a bottle of wine. The first chapter was originally twice this length but I chopped in half to make it slightly more readable._

_Lilly will get a little tougher as the story goes on so don't worry if you're not sure at the beginning._

_Please give it a chance and review._

_Obviously I don't own Middle Earth, though I'd love to live there._

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><p>Healing Song<p>

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><p>Lilly stood out ever so slightly in the crowds of the great hall. While the sea of limbs and food swarmed and made her barely unnoticeable, if one looked hard enough, they might linger on her, notice some small oddity and frown.<p>

She was taller and leaner than her female companions, mostly likely a result of inter-races relations in her bloodline. In the past her longer fingers and light hair would have made her subject to isolation and cruel taunts from dwarflings but the war had changed that. Now though, while she was followed by whispers and greeted always with odd manners, she could at least walk through the town market and tentatively make friends without too greater issue.

Besides, her tunes were far too sweet to dismiss on account of her lack of facial hair.

It was suggested frequently that the reason for the quality of her company's music laid in her heritage. The Thrankels were known somewhat controversially for their extensive travels. Always there had been tales of odd antiques decorating their homes and strange foods served at their feasts and, of course, there had been evidence of other races in their blood for generations. They had always looked a bit odd and acted a bit odder.

They had been a huge sprawling family up until the war and it became impossible to judge where their long golden locks and grey eyes had come from though it was agreed by most that it was certainly not dwarfish.

It was believed that the magic of the music came from this, that she had learned it from the elves or the hobbits or that it sung in her blood.

Either way it came so sweetly to their ears that accusations were so rarely formed out of fear that there might be a refusal to play at a daughter's wedding or a grandmothers birthday.

Her friends were of the kindest dwarves known. Flora, the oldest was kitted with a mane of long ginger hair and thick side burns. She played a dainty fiddle and danced erratically. Next was Nora who would sing sweetly on occasion and could merrily play not only the piano but also the guitar but she was shy and so frequently considered the least handsome of her friends, with short hectic black hair and small beady eyes. The youngest was Patty, round-faced with bright blue eyes and a light sprinkle of hair across her chin that could be seen only in the brightest of lights and when very close. Patty was charming and wore her bright yellow hair in a fat unruly plait over her shoulder. Her cheeks were permanently pink, her lips perfectly plump and her figure of an envy-inducing curvy. She played anything she set her mind too, though not always especially well.

All were endlessly affectionate towards their odd friend. They would drag her through the market for a new frock, grin and giggle and wrap her in fabrics and the seamstress frowned unsubtly at her long rims and held up dressers that only just brushed her shins. They bought her to social events, drank meed with her in fields during summer and threw obnoxiously loud slumber parties on her birthday.

But most importantly they played pretty tunes with her delicate flute playing and sweet humming.

"I think we should get new dresses." Patty cried with enthusiasm.

"You always think we should get dresses." Lilly said with a laugh. Her friends grinned as Patty shrugged and took a huge bite of her roll.

"I'm right this time." She said with a firm nod, "The royal family will be there and that cow..."

"Pats." Nora interrupted firmly.

"That _girl_ Celia will be there and I need to out do her. You saw her last time, swanning around making those remarks about us like she owned the place."

"If you buy a new dress for every feast you'll have no money by the winter." Lilly pointed out with a small smile. Patty huffed ungraciously and stuffed the rest of her role into her mouth.

Nora nodded, nibbling at her own food. "And we haven't got a paying party for the next few months. You should be more careful with your money."

There would be a feast in the great hall that weekend with copious amounts of wine and hot meats and tables and tables filled with sugary desserts. The royal family would also be there and with them an opportunity to swan about trying to catch their eye: put in a good word for yourself as a baker, a sword smith, a boot maker. And often, for the young females, a mate.

The best part, Lilly thought, was that they would get to play in the echoing great hall which was warm and made her flute loud and ringing, almost surreal. Nearly every musician would play that night, one after the other, trying to appease the rowdy dancing crowd which became easier into the night as the dwarves got tipsier and happier.

Tonight would be their first time playing for the royal family - they had played only once before and it had been early in the evening before they had emerged. They were the youngest of the acts and it was out of respect that they had not argued their position. But years had passed since then.

"It'll be our first time playing in front of the royals." Patty said, now sulking. "I'd like to look pretty."

"You always look pretty." Came Flora's booming voice from above them. She swooped into the space besides Lilly and grinned at them, still covered in flour from a day in her fathers bakery. "But I agree dresses sound fun. Oh Nora, don't look at me like that - it's a special occasion and it's been a good while since I got a pretty frock."

"But we've played in front of Prince Kili before." Lilly pointed out with a frown.

As Patty let out a dreamy sigh and leaned into her hands as Flora spoke: "He doesn't count."

Lilly laughed. She supposed she agreed: Kili was an obnoxious drunk and a sociable young man. He would appear at parties to flirt and dance from time to time, always smiling and never remembering anyone's name.

His charm had never fooled Lilly though. She had thought royalty meant manners and etiquette but somehow she had been proved wrong. She gave Flora an exaggerated sigh: "Of course you want a dress. _You_ don't have to pay extra for fabric for your hem."

Flora laughed loudly again and patted her friend on the back. "Dresses it is then."

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><p>By the weekend Lilly was the owner of a simple pale blue gown hemmed in soft cream lace and several matching ribbons that Patty had promised to weave into her hair. It has cost her a pretty penny but she had to admit, was handsome: the dress complimented her hair and didn't draw attention to her height or her long arms.<p>

The girls were in good spirits, they sat in her small cottage sipping on meed and tuning their instruments. Patty had worked their magic on each of them, plaiting their locks and painting their lips, fussing with their dresses and then with her own. In the end they looked like odd woodland fairies and laughed as the carried their instruments towards the already noisy party.

The space was packed, filled this colours and noises and smells. There was spice and red meat in the air and the band was playing a lively and traditional tune that had people dancing in pairs on the floor. Lilly immediately felt awkward. She fiddled with her dress, subconsciously stroked a beard that wasn't there and picked at her short finger nails.

"Would you relax?" Flora thrust a mug of wine into her hands, "We'll be on before you know it."

Lilly nodded and gulped down her wine, dropping heavily into the bench the least occupied. Within minutes she had lost her friends to the dancing swarm and knew it was painfully likely she would not see them until they were upon the stage. She would have to wait out the festivities until then. She drank and picked at her new pretty dress, ran her fingers along the smooth carved wood of her flute and counted the minutes.

It was barely an hour before she would ascend onto the stage that it happened. There was an arm slung round her shoulder, and a hot, slurred voice in her ear: "Hello again pretty." It said in its deep drawl.

Immediately she shuffled away, reluctantly met deep brown, unfocused eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said through clenched teeth, "Have we met before?" He moved closer, she shuffled further. She did not recognise him.

"I've certainly seen _you_ before." He grinned a dark and odd grin.

She gulped and moved to get up, "I'm sorry I have to..." Suddenly his hand was on her slight arm.

"I know what the others say about you," His grip tightened, "doesn't bother me though. You're sweet looking, I think. Sweet enough to..."

She wrenched her arm from his grip. Felt his harsh rough finger tips brush her skin as she stood straight and, without hesitating, made her way into the crowd.

"Hey. You get back here, girl." She heard behind her.

Now tears pricked her eyes. It was hardly the first time a man had shown an interest. But she knew, knew what they wanted. If she were only a dwarf she might have been flattered - flirtation at such events so frequently lead to courtship and romance. Not for her. Men didn't want romance from her; they wanted to touch her and then to never speak of her again in their lifetime.

She understood exactly what they wanted and she would never give it to them, no matter what risk of isolation it let her with.

She wound through the crowd, regretting the wine and her slight dizziness and turned to look for him only once. Still there, he followed like a sniffer dog. She felt like prey and kept moving.

After what seemed like an eternity of twisting and turning through a forest of skipping people she emerged into some space. Instantaneously two things happened: that same rough hand reached and gripped her upper arm with bruising force and second, her eyes met suddenly with the King of the Mountain's. In the eternity of silence that seemed to follow, it was in fact Prince Kili that broke the spell by thrusting out is arm and pointing at her rudely.

She did not notice the way speech slurred and his finger shook as he spoke, "Hey that's the girl from that band of dwarf maidens I spoke of."

Then the hand released her and with such force that he arm swung forward and clicked in its socket. She stumbled.

Lilly heard a quiet and angry swear word behind her and then nothing.

Unwillingly her eyes filled with tears, even as the young prince approached her, still drunk and still grinning. "You remember, uncle?" He looked behind him, "Last full moon, I saw them."

She wondered why her hands were shaking so and felt little relief at the mans disappearance.

The king seemed to sigh at his nephews slurs and nodded at him, regal and tired. He moved towards her, polite and stiff. It was his sudden frown that snapped her out of her trance. Had _he_ seen her distress?

She dropped into an awkward curtsey, blinking frantically at the floor in an attempt to collect her emotions up and bury them deep below. She wondered if any had seen the man who had grabbed her. She was embarrassed to be tipsy and flushed and fleeing in front of this imposing and important man. How awful she must have looked.

She refused to meet his eyes even when she upright, unable to remove the shine from her own.

"She's fantastic really." Prince Kili blathered on, apparently unaware od her state, "on the flute... with that other blond one on guitar or the piano or something?"

Watching his feet, she dipped into a bow again and forced herself to speak, "Many thanks. We are pleased to have amused you, my Prince." Even her voice was so weak she thought it might be carried away into the crowd.

"Tell me you're playing tonight. You might even get a smile out of uncle." He elbowed the king in his side and in spite of her fragile nerves Lilly felt one of her eyebrows raise.

"I think we are on next, my Prince. _I can only hope that you're correct._" The last part had come out with more animation than she had intended. The Kings frown was infamous and now it deepened. He was always, it seemed, stern and foreboding.

Her eyes flickered up and she saw his brows draw together minutely at her words. She flushed and wondered if any dwarf had ever manage to make a more pathetic show of their first royal meeting. The tears that eventually fell we're almost of relief when the band suddenly finished their set and she heard Flora's cheerful yell from the stage.

"I'm afraid that's my cue, your majesties." She bowed especially low. "I hope you enjoy the evening."

Again she wound through the crowd and ignored Flora's concerned look as she pulled Lilly onto the stage. The blond gulped and shook her head at the unanswered question: what's wrong?

"Lilly, where's your flute?" Patty interrupted, yelling in her jolly voice from across the stage. Panic flooded Lilly's system and she fruitlessly patted at the pockets of her dress, hoping desperately it would be present.

"Just one moment!" She cried to her friends as she flung herself back into the crowd and pushed back towards the benches that lined the great hall, worry driving her with speed she was usually incapable of.

She made it hardly half way before she was halted in her tracks by a solid mass directly in front of her. She almost stormed into it in her panic. A person; decked in rich dark fur with a huge sword hanging around his waist. Before her eyes could even journey to the man's face they saw way laid in the hands he held out before him, held towards her.

"My flute!" She cried loudly, frayed emotions overwhelming her manners. She reached out and retrieved it enthusiastically, dragging it to her chest in relief.

"My! Thank you so much! I thought..." Her eyes met dark intense brown set in a famously handsome face. In the moment through no appreciation for features registered in her brain, only panic.

"Your majesty!" She gasped dumbstruck, forgetting to bow to her king.

She wanted to hit herself but wouldn't dare to add to the list of uncouth manners she had already presented that night. His eyes shone with mockery that made her flush to the roots of her hair. She was frozen under his judgment.

Had anyone ever made such a fool of themselves?

Forever seemed to pass during her embarrassed silence.

"It is your turn I believe." His deep voice rumbled over the noise, "and I'm assured you're quiet good." He smirked.

She flushed even darker if possible and nodded. "Yes, your majesty. Thank you." And the she bowed so low her petticoat brushed the floor before running off back to the stage.

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><p>The set, despite her odd temperament, went well. A song into it and she had lost herself to the music, playing with her usual smooth enthusiasm. The crowd were entranced by their slow songs, livened by their fast. They danced along each note as puppets would on strings and cheered seemingly endlessly as their time drew to a close. Moments after Lilly would recall only moments of euphoria and companionship and the way her flute's tune had seemed to float around the room.<p>

Off the stage, immediately they were met with tight hugs and handshakes. In the fuss Flora lent to her and mouth a question above the noise: "Are you okay?"

She blinked, thinking on it for only a second.

"Just a man." She responded in the same manner: shrugging the incident off and replacing it with the happy thoughts if the success of their music.

Floras eyes softened with understanding and rather than dwelling she reached across and brushed one thick hand across her friends hair sympathetically.

"Let's dance."

And they did.

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><p>Over the next few weeks Lilly was determined not to think to long on the events of the evening. She took back to tending to her long garden, doted happily on her vegetables and absent-mindedly jotted down songs in her tiny sunlit study. On occasion, as she laid in her bed at night, and a momentary flush off embarrassment would overcome her and she would blink away memories of Kili's drunken finger, rough hand on her arms and blunders in front of authority.<p>

Other than thoughts and a dark bruise on her upper arm, she moved on.

"You should have seen the way he danced with me, Nora," Patty was saying not for the first time, "then you would not be so pessimistic."

Lilly tried not to roll her eyes as Patty launched into another description of Prince Kili's "Illuminating Eyes." To her side, Flora nudged her and smirked.

They lounged in the warm breeze next to Lilly's cabbage patch, spreading there limbs in the uncut grass and nibbling on home-grown carrots.

Before Patty could continue on a path that would surely lead to a description of the young prince's 'Determined Brow' and 'Strong Thumbs', she was interrupted by a loud deliberate cough and an awkward knock at her garden gate.

It was a guard, rigid and waiting just beyond the fence. Quickly the girls composed themselves; Patty's pretty eyes lit up and Flora grinned happily. Lilly frowned as she jumped to her feet and strode to the fence. "Can I help you?"

"Message from the royal house." He said forcefully, holding out an envelope with such a sharp movement that Lilly almost jumped. Patty squealed and jumped forward to snatch the envelope. She hurried back to the others, ignoring Nora's serious expression. Without saying another word the man left.

Patty practically shrieked with excitement as she pulled open the envelope, her sharp eyes scanning its contents while refusing to allow anyone else a glimpse.

When she was done she crushed the paper to her chest and grinned wolfishly at her awaiting friends.

"Well?" Flora demanded impatiently.

"We're playing a private dinner." She said shortly with a grin.

"What?" Lilly cried.

"It says it right here: The Royal House would formally request your services for a private feast." She quoted happily with exaggerated hand movements.

Flora let out a loud cry and took a forceful bite of her carrot. Nora, betraying her usual subtle temperament, grinned and let out a small laugh. Patty flung herself onto her back and held the letter inches from her face, rereading the invitation over.

Lilly frowned, suddenly reminded of the heat that had consumed her being at the kings quiet mockery. As her friends celebrated she silently relived the awful beginning to the feast and vowed that the embarrassment would not happen again.

This was a chance at acceptance and she would not let it slip.

When Flora clapped her on the back, she painted on a smile.

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><p>She had practiced in preparation for the feast; had filled her tiny cottage with playful tunes and elaborate compositions. Her neighbours were quietly delighted. The old moody dwarf who lived in the home next to her own had taken to lazily attending his garden every day, half heartedly watering potatoes and swaying along happily to her tunes in the gentle sun.<p>

Patty had appeared on one pleasant morning to pick out a dress for her, settling on one that had been made years before for a summer dance. It was lilac and overly frilly with navy shoes that pointed her dainty feet. For herself Patty had invested in an elaborate pale yellow number that made her glow.

By the evening of the appointment she has installed herself with a sense of confidence, she smoothed down her skirt and plaited her long hair. Her flute was so polished it might have been new and she was practiced to near perfection. That and Patty and Flora's enthusiasm was catching to the extent that she found herself humming as she shut her front door. Even Nora giggled as they walked cheerily towards the palace.

There, they were greeted by a young soldier whose eyes rested with a familiar discomfort on Lilly's form which she had grown so used to that it no longer bothered her. For Patty he seemed to have a special smile, as did many. As he led them back through the grand halls of the palace, he glanced back at the pretty dwarf and she batted her eyelashes in her usual style.

Nora frowned when they parted at a grabs wooden door, disapproving of Patty's familiar flirtation. Sensing her glare the guard shot one last smirk before disappearing back down the dark hallway.

"Well then," Patty breathed with a flourish, "shall we go in?"

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><p>Inside they setup in silent anticipation. It was a small stone hall with elaborate carvings into each pillar and a shining flat floor that echoed as they carried their instruments to their directed corner. There were three long tables set with food that smelt so rich she thought it most likely cost double that of Lilly's cottage. Steam rose from a magnificent boar in the middle, bigger than any Lilly had seen before.<p>

In the quiet yet frantic preparation that went on around them Lilly heard Flora's stomach rumble loudly. The sound bounced around the room, distorted and almost ghostly as a result. For a moment the tension continued, almost heightened, before in one quick second the four musicians simultaneously dissolved into giggles.

The invisible worry that had surrounded them upon entry into the hall was shattered and they were suddenly filled with a fire that they felt could only ensure their success. The moment a signal was made, their instruments melted into a soft tune that painted a moss green forest, light filtering through dense trees and tiny dizzy insects fluttering through the air.

With a smile Lilly felt her eyelids flutter close as she drifted, in her mind, along with the tiny flying creatures. She did not hear the loud scrap of doors opening, the low chatter of the nobles, the gasps of delight the women made at their music and the polite menial conversation that surrounded them.

She heard the way the music drifted gracefully from her friends. She wondered that it might be the best they had ever played this song. Pressure had seemed to bring out the best in them and she was proud of them and of herself.

Song after song had passed before she opened her eyes. It was time for the nobles to eat and broken afresh from her trance, her eyes immediately met Floras, whose grin had grown to epic proportions and had seemed to have concurred her face. For a long moment they were quietly triumphant. Servers appeared to offer than a single glass of wine in wide crystal classes which they accepted gracefully. They moved closer to each other and engaged in almost silence self-congratulations. They tried to remain professional, sharing grins and barely noticeable winks.

In her happiness she didn't notice the tall figure approach though when she thought back on it, she should have seen the expectant light in Patty's eyes and known immediately.

"Miss Thrankel." Came the sheepish voice of the youngest prince, Kili. She turned and tried not to cringe at the memory of their previous meeting. The group dropped into clumsy curtsies.

"My prince." She greeted, only just managing to meet his eye steadily.

"Good evening... It..." He paused and rubbed his neck, looking away off into the room for a moment, "It occurs to me that during our last meeting I might have let my manners get away from me."

For a moment all Lilly could feel was Patty's heated glared on the back of her head.

"Not at all, my Prince." She said it steadily though she felt that treacherous eyebrow arch again of its own accord.

He blinked, his eyes flicking up and resting for not half a second on said brow. A smirk. "Hm. Well, I meant the compliments paid to your company and I can promise that tonight you somehow managed to surpass yourselves." Now he managed to send Patty a wink over her shoulder. "I'm afraid I must return to this exhilarating party... I'm sure we will talk again." And the his back was turned before he could even glimpse their shallow curtsies.

Lilly blinked, a little bewildered that the Prince had attempted to apologise and each of her friends looked at her in confusion, silent questions in their eyes. Lilly could only find the will to shrug.

For the rest of the evening Patty was all but floating with happiness and the music seemed to become lighter in her excitement.

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><p>The evening passed then with no other disruption. They played so near to perfection that the nobles muttered in silent awe as they left the room. So pleased was Lilly that the odd looks some threw her as they excited meant nothing. They knew what she was capable of now and it's was something good, something she found almost beautiful.<p>

She stroked her flute with a smile before being dragged unceremoniously into a group hug that threatened to squeeze the air from her lungs.

Nora smiled kindly up at her, "You were fantastic tonight, Lilly." She said softly.

"You were all perfect." Lilly agreed whole heartedly. They nodded at each other, unable to keep contented blushes from their faces.

"I think this deserves a drink, don't you Lils?" Flora asked with a grin.

Patty cheered in agreement and Nora nodded and gripped Lilly's hand with a toothy smile.

"Yes," she consented with a laugh, "I suppose it does. The Green Dragon awaits us tonight."

Before they could make their own escape from the suddenly empty room there was a familiar stiff cough and equally stiff guard standing a few feet away from them. Now understanding it's meaning, the young dwarf women turned to him still grinning and nodded.

"It is requested that Miss Thrankel remain for a short while." He recited clearly and then when the company of musicians all frowned together, he added: "to discuss matter of payment."

"Ah." Said Flora understandingly. "Of course."

Nora nodded and began to steer the youngest of the four towards the door as she made small noises of protest.

As the door shut firmly and her friends disappeared into the unknown corridors of the palace, Lilly felt a touch of fear slither through her veins. With the flood sufficiently demolished and half of candles distinguished, the room seemed suddenly larger and colder.

She waited for the guard to tell her whatever it was that she was to know.

In the looming darkness she hopelessly wished that someone else had been made to stay. Finance was hardly her forte. She wrote her song and sold her vegetables, making just enough to live a modest lifestyle that suited her quite well. Flora or Nora might have at least have provided some understanding.

Though she supposed it didn't truly matter - the idea of a dwarf maiden daring to haggle with the place was laughable. They would take that they were offered and be pleased for the opportunity gifted to them.

Without any announcement the guard turned and sped with long steps towards the door, uncertain Lilly found herself scurrying helplessly after him. They marched through one door and then another and another as the fear that has barely been a trickle pooled in the young dwarves belly.

She was about to ask where they were going but only managed a barely audible "Um sir..." Before they stopped rather abruptly outside of another impressively tall door.

Now the guard looked at her, nodded, rapped at the door twice and hurried off again away from her, leaving her alone in the cold stone door way.

For a moment she stood, uncertain what to do and half tempted to chase after the guard and demanding some kind of explanation. She was half turned when a voice called, impossible to ignore from the other side of the door.

"Come." It said, so load that it's authority was clear even through the thick wooden door.

Gulping down her uncertainly she struggled with the weighty door and emerged in the warmth of a room unlike any she had seen.

Every service seemed to be of a different texture; there was fur on the floor and on the walls, deep velvet curtains framing the windows and the door so that her arms brushed hem as she stepped hesitantly in. The sensation was softer than any she had felt before.

There was a fireplace, huge and alight, emitting seemingly more heat than the sun. Books stacked to the ceiling and two formal sitting chairs it be centre if it all.

Entranced, Lilly found her feet drifting towards the nearest book shelf and her nimble fingers reaching out so close to touching the spine of a maroon leather-bound book embellished with gold that shone in the light of the fire.

"Miss Thrankel."

She almost tripped and withdrew her hand with an immediate snap to her side. She spun to be met with smirk and without a seconds thought threw herself into a bow. "Your," she took a calming breath, "your majesty."

He was silent for a minute as she struggled with her shock.

"You like books then." He said simply, those eyes still mocking in the darkness of the corner.

She wondered at how she had missed him now, his attire and his eyes gleamed even in the show and his huge form stood out so starkly from any background. His formal clothing was intricate, leather and fur stitched together into complex patterns across his chest. He looked groomed and fearsome all in one. She nodded, at a loss for words.

The silence stretched on and she hoped desperately that he would just pay her so she could disappear and calm her poor surprised heart.

"I wanted to discuss something with you," He stepped from the shadows into the light of the fire, though Lilly refused to meet his eyes, "A proposition." His gruff voice was compelling, "I will pay you handsomely tonight, I dare say you deserve it."

She bowed again, "Thank you, your majesty."

He took no note of this and continued, "and for the feast in two months time and the feast after that."

That forced her eyes up. She blinked at him, wide grey eyes confused and uncomprehending. "You want…" She trailed off, the corners of her lips turning downwards.

"I would like your company to play for me for the unforeseeable future, yes. Just to amuse the nobles, and at private functions." He said a little impatiently.

She frowned and stared silently at the ornate twisting patterns of the carpet below her feet.

Sensing her thoughts, the king too frowned. "You will be paid well." He reiterated.

Her eyes rose again, lashes aflutter. "Yes we are very grateful, your majesty." There was reluctance weighing her voice.

The king took a long step towards her. He Was intimidating, she found, his face was all sharp lines. Half obscured by thick coarse hair and his body made only of muscle. His eyes were sharp, his mouth thin and he seemed to be angry at her: "you do not seem so." He growled.

His tone for only a second lit a spark of irritation within her but she smothered it with her doubt. "It's just..." She struggled for words.

"Speak girl." He commanded.

"Are you sure?" She hurried, almost tripping over her words.

His frown deepened into a scowl. "You question my judgement, girl?"

She gulped and forced down a frown at being called '_girl_' for the second time in the past minute. "I meant about me." She said before she could think it through. "I mean, it's just that I'm..." She was immediately embarrassed of herself.

Understanding touched his features and dark eyes swooped over her, seeing the extra inches of her height, the odd tone if her hair, the subtle shape of her body. If she were to start appearing regularly at important parties, it would be thought odd. She was different and it would send a strange message. One that might not be taken to so kindly.

Minutes passed and she though he may have actually changed her mind. Stupid girl, she thought to herself, was this not what you had hoped for? Acceptance? And now it is a chance offered in a silver platter and you must question it?

Quietly she admonished herself and awaited his judgement. Still tense and with anger in his tone, the king spoke.

"Do not question me." He turned away from her and stared into the fire, "you will play your music two months from now and you will play long after that. You will play for me whenever I need you to and you will do it without question, girl. Leave." And then he said nothing more and yet she could not being herself to move. Frozen by his command; she stayed.

"Leave." He repeated with such force that, with a strength she had not known she had possessed, she swung the door open wide and fled both afraid and angered at the same time.

* * *

><p>I may have been quite drunk when I wrote this so you'll have to excuse typos and ridiculous turns of phrase. Other than that I think this could be a really cute story if people gave it a chance.<p>

The next chapter will be up soon because it already exists. Yay.

Please review.

Night.


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